Parental Guidance
by ElderTrash
Summary: When Chris and James' infant son falls ill, they call their mothers for some advice. ((ChurchTarts fluff))


The screaming of a baby woke James and his husband Chris up for the third time in one night. They'd adopted the little boy five months ago and they hadn't slept since.

James moaned and rolled over, burying his head in his pillow. "Chris, go see what Ryan needs." He muttered.

Chris pulled the covers up to his face and nuzzled beneath them. "It's your turn babe."

"Nuh uh, I went last time also I have to work tomorrow. Please Chris?"

"Fine, you're lucky I'm such a good husband."

"I love you."

"Shut up." Chris climbed out of bed and shuffled to the nursery that James had built in his old office across the hall.

Baby Ryan kicked his tiny legs wildly and wailed with his eyes squeezed shut. Chris reached into the crib and lifted his son out of it gently, he began rocking the baby boy back and forth and shushing him.

"Sleep now little buddy, know this much is true, tomorrow is a latter day and your dads are here for you." He sang softly. Chris snuggled the baby close to his chest and jumped when he felt heat radiating off the infant. He put his cheek to Ryan's forehead and pulled back when he realized how feverish his son felt.

"James!" Chris cried. "James something is wrong!"

Faster than humanly possible, James was in the nursery. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"Ryan has a fever." Tears started to slide down Chris' cheeks. "He's sick, James. He's just a baby, he can't be sick."

James wrapped his arms around his husband and son protectively. "It'll be okay, Chris. If the fever doesn't go away by morning we'll take him to the pediatrician okay?"

Chris nodded and clutched his baby possessively, willing everything bad to get away from his precious son.

That night, Ryan slept in his crib and his two daddies slept on the floor of his nursery.

When morning finally arrived, Chris took Ryan's temperature while James stood by and paced nervously. Upon hearing the thermometer beep, James walked over to the crib and placed his hands on Chris' shoulders.

"Well?"

"102. Go start the car."

James dressed and started the car that he and Chris shared while Chris put a small coat on Ryan. "It's okay sweetie, Daddy's got you." Chris whispered, zipping up the baby's snow jacket.

Chris sat in the backseat next to Ryan's car seat on the way to the hospital. He let his son hold one of his fingers as he watched James drive.

At the doctor's office Chris made an appointment while James sat in the waiting room with Ryan. He rocked his baby back and forth and hummed softly. In his haste, James hadn't put his contacts in so he was still wearing his plastic-rimmed black glasses. Ryan reached up and grabbed at his glasses, pulling them off of James' face and holding them in his little hands.

James looked down at his blurry baby and took the glasses out of his hands gently. "Sorry Ry, Dad needs these." He said with a smile.

"James, c'mon!" Chris called from the hallway. Just as James stood, Ryan started coughing a wet, soggy cough.

The room that Chris and James were sent to was decorated like an African Sahara. There were zebras and sunsets painted on the walls and tribal-style mobiles hung from the ceiling.

Dr. Brody walked into the room and smiled at the two men who looked stressed out of their wits. "What seems to be the problem today gentlemen?"

Chris started. "He's had fever since last night-"

"And he just started coughing." James added, finishing his husband's sentence.

Dr. Brody took Ryan's temperature and frowned at his thermometer. "103, and you say he's been coughing?"

"Yes."

"It's most likely a viral infection, but depending on family history it could be worse. Any hereditary familial illnesses?"

"We don't exactly know." Chris said shamefully.

"What about his mother?"

"He doesn't have a mother, he's got two dads."

"Oh I see. I'll treat him for viral infection then."

Back at home, Chris sat in the kitchen with Ryan and tried to get the infant to take his medicine. James joined him at the table and stroked his son's little head. "James that was so embarrassing." Chris said suddenly.

"What was?"

"Not knowing our own son's medical history. That doctor looked at us like we were the most idiotic parents he'd even seen, and I bet it didn't help that we were gay parents either."

James took Chris's hands in his own. "Don't talk like that Chris, we're good parents. Well, I'm good, you're great."

"No I'm not." Chris sniffled.

"You got up last night without question to see what Ryan needed and you slept on the floor just to be near your son."

"So did you."

"Yeah, so you wouldn't be alone."

Chris leaned his head on James's shoulder and admired their son. Ryan still hadn't grown any hair but he had bright blue eyes a big smile that made Chris want to melt every time he saw it.

"James I think we need help, somebody to show us the ropes."

"Like who?"

"I'm calling my mom."

"Chris, you know your mom doesn't like me."

"But I need her, James."

"Fine Chris, but I'm calling my mom too then."

"Why?"

"A second opinion, also I haven't seen her since last Christmas."

The next afternoon, Ryan was doing much better. A knock on the front door interrupted James while he watching a basketball game. Chris ran out into the living room and turned off the TV despite his husband's protests. "Get off the couch, go brush your hair." He chided, yanking his husband up.

James grumbled something about the Utah Jazz before walking into their bedroom and shutting the door.

Chris approached the front door nervously and opened it to find his mother waiting on the porch. "Hi mom!" He exclaimed happily.

Chris' mother pushed away the hug and shoved her son aside to get into the house. "Where's my Ry-Ry?" She asked excitedly. Chris smiled an pointed to a play mat in the living room where Ryan was laying. Mrs. Thomas ran over to the baby and started cooing at him.

James came out of the bedroom in a wrinkle-free t-shirt and had freshly combed hair. Mrs. Thomas glared at James. "Oh you're still here." She said disdainfully.

"Well this is my house, and that's my husband, and that's my son. So yeah, I'm still here and it's lovely to see you too Mrs. Thomas." James said in a cool, biting tone that earned him a glare from Chris.

Mrs. Thomas opened up her purse and pulled three boxes of Poptarts out of it and handed them to her son. "Here you go angel." She said, kissing Chris' forehead. Chris took the Poptarts and placed them on the kitchen counter before thanking his mom halfheartedly.

A few minutes later, Ms. Daniels, James' mother, arrived. She had divorced James' alcoholic father long ago and went back to her maiden name shortly after.

Ms. Daniels absolutely adored Chris and she didn't care one bit about her son's homosexuality. As a little boy, James had defended his mother from her drunken husband's rage and she loved him to the ends of the Earth for that.

"Jamsie!" She cried, grabbing her son in a hug and almost bursting into tears. "How are you sweetie? Where's Chris?"

"I'm good Mom." James said with a laugh. "Chris is with his mother in the kitchen."

Chris appeared next to James and grabbed Ms. Daniels in a huge hug. James watched his mother and husband talk excitedly about random things with a smile. Ryan's crying distracted him and he walked over to his son and scooped him up. "Hey bud, your Mama's here."

James' mother had insisted on being "Mama" because she didn't like the idea of being a grandma at age forty-five.

James handed Ryan to his mother and she smiled from ear-to-ear. "James I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks Mom."

"I mean it. You grew up so well, you conquered everything and now you have your reward. You're my hero, son."

James hugged his mother, careful not to squish the baby between them. Whenever he saw his mom, James would hear his dad's angry voice in a dark part of his brain, but he'd never tell her that.

Chris wanted to order a pizza for dinner, but both mothers insisted on cooking and it turned into World War III in the kitchen. To tune out the shouting from their mothers, James and Chris took Ryan out onto the porch.

James sat on the porch steps and looked across the dew flecked lawn. He sighed in contentment, as a boy he'd pictured a life where he'd complete his mission and return home as a hero. After he came home he'd meet a pretty Mormon girl and they'd get married and move to Utah to be closer to the religious center. Little did young James know that his fantasy wife would be play by a skinny blonde twenty-four year old man with a thing for toaster pastries, but he couldn't be happier.

Chris sat next to James, holding a squirming baby in his arms.

"Y'know, James, even though Ryan isn't technically related to us, sometimes I think he has your nose." Chris said, wiping a bit of slobber off of Ryan's chin.

James watched his husband tend to the baby and he felt lightheaded. "What did I do to deserve this?" He asked, snaking an arm around Chris' waist.

"What do you mean?"

"You, Ryan, this house, our jobs. I'm must've done something right to get all of this in my life."

"I know exactly what you did James."

"Oh really, and what is that?"

"You dragged me behind the Mission Hut and kissed me on our last day in Uganda. That's what you did right."

James rested his head on Chris' shoulder and sighed. He reached out and took Ryan into his arms and cradled his son.

"James, Chris! Dinner!" Mrs. Thomas shouted from the kitchen.

Together, the boys' mothers had put together a delicious dinner that bordered on excessive. Needless to say, there were plenty of leftovers.

For a full week, the two women argued over everything. How to change diapers, what TV shows were "inappropriate" for their fully grown sons, whether or not Ryan's diet was complete, and everything else they could find to nitpick at.

At last, Chris and James stood in their driveway and said goodbye to their mothers.

"By Mom, thanks for helping us out. Ry is looking a lot better." Chris said, hugging his mother.

Ms. Daniels squealed and pinched Ryan's chubby baby cheeks. "I have half a mind to slip him into my suitcase and take him back to Wyoming with me." She said fondly. James laughed and kissed his mother's forehead. "Sorry mom you had your baby boy, now it's my turn."

"I know baby." She smoothed back James' hair and smiled at her son. "You're such an amazing father, and husband James. You're ten times the man your father ever was and these boys are lucky to have you."

James felt tears sting at his eyes and his heart did a little flip.

"Thank you mom."


End file.
